The 4,849-mile (7821-km) Trans-Canada is this country’s mythic highway, starting (technically) at Mile 0 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and ending in Victoria, British Columbia (also Mile 0).

More than 500 miles (800 km) of the Trans-Canada run through the Southern Interior, Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia. You can’t really say you know British Columbia until you’ve travelled the area covered here, certainly one of the liveliest.

Once you leave the Fraser Valley north of Hope, you’re suddenly into some great driving. When you pass delightfully named Spuzzum (don’t blink), you know that you’re on your way towards Golden, a distance of about 350 miles (560 km). In the short space of 25 miles (42 km), a series of seven tunnels interspaced by long sections of heavily forested roadway leads through the rock walls of the Fraser Canyon at Yale, Saddle Rock, Sailor Bar, Alexandra, Hell’s Gate, Ferrabee, and China Bar (at 2,000 feet/610 m, one of the longest highway tunnels in North America).

In 1986, the opening of the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) sharply reduced traffic on the stretch of Highway 1 between Hope and Kamloops. Today this drive is much easier to explore without fear of holding up a convoy of 18-wheelers, although a high percentage of the traffic is commercial traffic, with frequent mishaps involving big rigs and smaller vehicles. Truckers surely don’t miss this winding road through the canyon. However, anyone interested in a real motoring experience (instead of putting the car on cruise control) should drive this section of Highway 1. You’ll be doing so in the spirit of many pioneers who’ve gone before you under much more trying circumstances.

Once east of the Fraser Canyon, the Trans-Canada climbs onto the open Thompson Plateau. The arid, eroded windswept countryside here is one of the most unusually beautiful landscapes in British Columbia, and that’s saying a great deal. Thanks to widespread irrigation you’ll find roadside fruit and vegetable stands between Lytton and Cache Creek.

A series of gentle mountain ranges rolls between the Thompson Plateau in the west and the Shuswap Highlands to the east, then rises dramatically in the Selkirk and Monashee Mountains between Revelstoke and Golden near the British Columbia-Alberta border. Travellers between the two towns must negotiate Rogers Pass (elevation 4,534 feet/1382 m), one of the great mountain crossings in the province and certainly the Trans-Canada Highway’s crowning glory. The lofty sensation of crossing Rogers Pass is one of the rewards for travelling here.

Location: The Trans-Canada Highway 1 traverses Canada from east to west (and from west to east, actually), from Mile 0 at St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, and the other Mile 0. Almost every main road or highway in British Columbia intersects with the Trans-Canada at some point. On Vancouver Island, the Trans-Canada highway starts in Victoria and travels north to Departure Bay in Nanaimo, linking to the mainland by ferry to Horseshoe Bay, north of Vancouver. From Horseshoe Bay, Highway 1 passes through Vancouver’s North Shore before heading south of the Fraser River and into the Fraser Valley.

Highway 97 links the Central Interior with Highway 1 at Cache Creek. Highway 5 links Merritt in the Okanagan-Boundary to the south and Barriere in Central Interior to the north with Highway 1 at Kamloops. Highway 97 links Vernon in the north Okanagan Valley with Highway 1 at three points: Monte Creek, Salmon Arm, and Sicamous. Highway 23 links Shelter Bay in the West Kootenays with Highway 1 at Revelstoke. Highway 95 links Radium Hot Springs in the East Kootenays with Highway 1 at Golden. Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, and Golden are the four major urban areas along this route.

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The Holiday Inn is one of Vancouver’s finest hotels, and North Vancouver’s premier hotel. Cradled beneath the city’s majestic North Shore mountains, and located only 20 minutes from Downtown Vancouver, the award-winning Holiday Inn & Suites North Vancouver is close to visitor attractions, a variety of restaurants, theatres, and conveniently located for outdoor adventures to Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain, and Seymour Mountain. Amenities include an on-site restaurant, pub, spa, indoor pool, jacuzzi, and meeting and banquet facilities.

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Join us for Sturgeon fishing and world-class fly fishing on the Fraser River and Harrison River for Salmon, Steelhead, and Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout. We offer fully-guided day trips as well as fully-inclusive fishing packages with lodging on the Fraser River. We also offer Helicopter Fishing, wilderness adventures, and combine golf and whitewater rafting with year-round quality angling opportunities.

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Vedder River Inn in the scenic Fraser Valley caters to business, sports and pleasure travellers, as it is well situated in the Sardis area of Chilliwack, close to all amenities, and just minutes from Cultus Lake, the Vedder River, and many popular attractions. We offer bright and modern rooms, an executive suite suitable for long-term business stays or a large family. Located just 3kms south of Trans-Canada Highway 1.

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Lindell Beach Holiday Resort is a uniquely terraced property in the gorgeous Fraser Valley, just a 90-minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Nestled into the hillside at the quiet south end of Cultus Lake, Lindell Beach Resort is a fun and relaxing country getaway, with breathtaking scenery, close to golf courses, and a short walk to Cultus Lake and Vedder River.

You will enjoy a great and affordable family vacation at Lindell Beach Holiday Resort if you are looking for a vacation home for your family that includes a safe and secure community with many events happening throughout the season. On the resort you can enjoy the swimming pool/hot tub, basketball/tennis courts, playground or just relax by your fire pit on the deck. Great for the whole family!

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Lakeside Country Inn is a charming lakeside Inn and Bed & Breakfast on Kamloops Lake in Savona, half an hour from downtown Kamloops. Enjoy lakeview rooms with private balconies, kitchen suites, a private beach, shaded lawns, flower gardens, cable TV, and complimentary wireless high-speed internet access. Choose from lakeview rooms with a queen bed or two twin beds or larger kitchen suites. Breakfast in the glass enclosed Garden Cafe is a delightful way to start your day during the summer.

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Grandview Motel is a friendly family owned and operated motel in the heart of Kamloops. Enjoy a splendid sleep in a quiet, convenient location. Every room has a fridge, coffee and air-conditioned comfort, free local calls, and local newspaper. We also have free hi-speed wireless internet in most rooms and free internet access station in the lobby. Seasonal heated pool and large patio, gas barbecues for guests, and shaded picnic area. Restaurants and shopping nearby, close to downtown and the University College of the Cariboo.